Setting Up A Club

Wiltshire County FA (WCFA) offer support to an individual or collective group with the setting up of a football club. This article will give you all the relevant information you need with regard to the forming of a new club.

WCFA understand that the setting up of a new club can be a daunting process and our aim as a County is to provide you with all the relevant information needed to get your club starting whilst also offering support along the way.

Below you will find in the documents section our very own 'Setting Up A Club' guide which takes you through the process from start to finish step by step. Would you know where to start? Here are a few helpful pointers to help you on your way:

Constitution – appointment of club officials
Clubs should appoint a Secretary, Chairman and Treasurer to carry out key club duties. It is important that you have enough volunteers and members to make sure that everything runs smoothly throughout the season. If you need assistance recruiting volunteers you can always pop an advert out on the County Noticeboard (see https://t.co/dBOi6OuNeF)

Finance – income and expenditure to run the club It is important to raise funds to start up the club. Primarily these will probably be from player memberships and subscriptions. You will also need to keep a record showing income and expenditure throughout the season as the club (in accordance with FA Rules) must disclose these upon request to the County FA. A template for this can be obtained from the County FA. Email Jodie.Jordan@WiltshireFA.com

Insurance – Public Liability & Personal Injury Clubs need adequate insurance cover for their players in case of accident or injury whilst playing or travelling to matches. The County FA can provide this, or clubs can find their own.

Players – registration, eligibility, discipline, welfare & coaching Clubs must understand the rules of each competition that they enter. All football discipline is administered by the County FA and the Secretary of the club is responsible for ensuring that all players are eligible to play. If clubs are in any doubt about player eligibility they should contact the County FA. For youth teams, it is important to be aware of child protection safeguards and advice on this is available from the County Welfare Officer (Shirley.Needham@WiltshireFA.com)

Fixtures – League & Cup Competitions Fixtures are arranged by the league you enter. For home matches, the Club Secretary should arrange a venue, notify the opponents and match officials of the fixture arrangements (e.g. kick-off time, venue and kit colours). For away games, notify your players of the venue and kick-off time when you receive it from your opponents. The County FA also organises County Cup Competitions (currently for U13, U14 girls, U15, U16 girls, U18, Junior, Sunday, Womens and Senior teams, all of which are mandatory for applicable teams) which provide an opportunity to play teams from different leagues or divisions.

Pitches – Useful Contacts & Advice Apply to your Local Authority, other local teams, Parish Council or owner of a private ground to hire a pitch. Hire charges will vary depending on the area and owner of the pitch.

Kit & Equipment Decide on your home kit colours and buy a playing kit. You should also buy equipment, such as match balls, training balls, a first aid kit and goal nets.

Results / Public Relations / Press Ensure you send the result of your match into the league. Good PR will help raise the profile of the club. It could bring in new players and may even attract some sponsorship, so aim to establish good relationships with the local press.

Club structure is an important part of the process and The FA does not have any rules or requirements that specify that a club must be structured in one legal form or another. It is a matter for each club to determine the legal form that is best based on its own circumstances.

In the documents section at the bottom of the page you will find 'A Guide To Club Structures' document with detailed information on the common forms that football clubs can adopt together with some advantages and disadvantages of that form.

If whilst setting up your club you currently own land or intend to receive donations from members then you may wish to consider registering as a Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) so as to benefit from the tax reliefs available. Under the documents section in this article you will find more infromation on CASC in the 'Club Amateur Sports Club' document.

Any club receiving substantial donations (donations do not include sponsorship payments) may wish to consider the benefits of becoming a charity.

If you require any further information regarding 'Setting up a Club' please do not hesitate to contact the Development Team on 01793 486047.